


let's find out if love is the size of the ocean

by foxwins



Category: Kingsman: The Secret Service (2015)
Genre: Action, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Romance, proposal
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-10
Updated: 2015-07-10
Packaged: 2018-04-08 14:33:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4308831
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foxwins/pseuds/foxwins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It doesn't seem to matter for the longest time, doesn't even occur to him. And it's not like it would <i>change</i> anything. He loves Roxy and Roxy loves him- that was all there was to it. Nothing was ever coming between that. Which was really all that mattered, right?</p>
            </blockquote>





	let's find out if love is the size of the ocean

**Author's Note:**

> yes, this is a proposal fic. yes, i am trash. yes, i will fight you.

Roxy's hair is tied messily back, a mottled bruise on her cheek blending into the dark circles underneath her eyes. The caffeine in her coffee hasn't quite kicked in yet, giving her gaze a heavy-lidded, drowsy quality. In one of Eggsy's old shirts thrown over a pair of jeans, she's the picture of rumpled post-mission exhaustion.

 

Eggsy thinks she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen.

 

The two are sitting in a Paris café, waiting for a breakfast that seems like it's never coming. Roxy's watching people mill around in the streets outside, absentmindedly twisting her signet ring around her finger, but Eggsy's content to watch her, trying to commit this moment to memory.

 

As he watches the dark bronze of the ring spin around her slim white finger, he can't help but think that the size and weight of the ring weigh her down, too large for her small hand.

 

 _A slimmer band would be better,_ he thinks. _In a lighter gold, so it would compliment her skin more. A diamond too, nicely sized but not too large, wouldn't want it to be unwieldy. Maybe flanked by emeralds, they'd contrast prettily with--_

 

"Quid for your thoughts, Eggs?" Eggsy jumps out of his rapidly escaping train of thought to see Roxy looking at him curiously.

 

"You'd be losing money," he jokes. "S'not anything interesting."

 

"You seemed pretty invested in it." Roxy's got an amused expression on her face, as if she was enjoying watching him scrambling for an explanation. Which she probably was. Eggsy couldn't see his face, but it wasn't unreasonable to assume that it was entertaining.

 

"It's nothing, really," he says. Roxy watches him for another heartbeat and then shrugs, accepting. Eggsy reaches takes her left hand, the one without the signet ring, and runs his thumb over all the delicate curves and crevices in her skin. A pleased smile lights up her face at the touch, and she leans forwards over the table, practically purring.

 

(If his touch lingers a bit longer over her ring finger, she doesn't notice.)

 

They break apart when the waiter arrives with their food, Roxy pulling her hand away to grab her cutlery and then later to steal half the food off of his plate.

 

* * *

 

["How can you even eat eggs? Isn't that, I don't know, cannibalism?"

 

"You still could've asked. Weren't you raised with all them fancy manners and shit?"

 

"I ignored my upbringing for you, Eggsy. Feel honored."

 

"Right about now the only thing I'm feeling is hungry."]

 

* * *

 

It doesn't seem to matter for the longest time, doesn't even occur to him. And it's not like it would _change_ anything. He loves Roxy and Roxy loves him- that was all there was to it. Nothing was ever coming between that. Which was really all that mattered, right?

 

That should have been the end of it. But the notion dogs Eggsy at every turn, creeping into his conscious when he was staring down the sight of a rifle, burning at the edge of his thoughts during mission briefings, clawing its way to the forefront of his mind every time he looks at Roxy.

 

(Which is a lot; suffice to say, he thought about quite often. Too much, probably.)

 

It was such a charming thought, though: Roxy draped in a sparkling white dress, hair falling softly over her shoulders, delicate hand graced with an elegant, well-suited ring.

 

And it only got better. His mother, sniffling with happiness into a lace handkerchief. Daisy all in pastel, happily throwing flower petals about. Roxy smiling, Roxy kissing him, Roxy laughing as she shoves cake in his face.

 

(Roxy whispering his name in their bed, Roxy flushing as the hotel concierge call them by his last name, Roxy Roxy Roxy Roxy.)

 

Rubbing his eyes, Eggsy gets up and leaves to the range. He needs to shoot something.

 

* * *

 

"When isn't she my _real_ sister, mum?"

 

Daisy's incensed, practically incandescent with fury. Eggsy's often said that he feels a bit bad for his mum, cause there is no way he could face his little sister down and not give in to her every command. She's like a tiny, adorable, unstoppable tornado.

 

Michelle, however, is made of sterner stuff.

 

"Cause Eggsy and Roxy aren't married like mummy and daddy are, sweetheart."

 

Daisy manages not to stamp her foot, but it's a close one. She looks distraught at the notion.

 

"But I _want_ her to be my real sister!"

 

"She will be eventually, alright?" Michelle's firm tone must tip Daisy off, because she huffs and rocks backwards.

 

"When's that?"

 

"Probably when your brother gets married, dear."

 

"When's _that_?"

 

"Why don't you go ask him, huh?" Michelle says absently, turning back to the carrots she was chopping. She doesn't even notice as Daisy scurries out of the kitchen, argument forgotten.

 

Eggsy perks up his head from his tablet as Daisy rounds the corner into the living room at what seems like a dangerously high speed.

 

"Eggsy!" She pitches herself into his lap, forcing him to drop his tablet to the (thankfully) carpeted floor beside him.

 

"What's that, Crazy Daisy?" He struggles to arrange her in his arms, and she squirms for a moment before stilling.

 

"When're you and Roxy getting married?"

 

Eggsy chokes for a moment, but Daisy carries on, oblivious.

 

"Cause Sarah said that I don't have a real sister, cause Roxy doesn't count but mummy said that once you guys get married she will be my real sister and I want to tell Sarah that I do have a sister, just like her. But better than her cause Roxy's better than any old sister of hers." After heaving a deep breath, she looks up at him expectantly, perturbed slightly when he can't wrangle up an answer. "Well? You gotta ask her, right?"

 

He sputters for a moment before settling simply with "Soon, yeah? Soon."

 

"Great!" And just like that, she's off him and bolting somewhere else in the house.

 

Eggsy groans tiredly. Whoever this Sarah is, she's going to have a lot to answer for.

 

* * *

 

"There have been two other married couples in the Kingsmen before, you know. Though never between two agents, I'll admit." Merlin doesn't even look up from his clipboard as he speaks across the (almost) empty workroom.

 

"What're you on about, Merlin?" Eggsy asks, attempting to act as confused as possible.

 

(He's reasonably sure he does a pretty good job.)

 

"Just thought you'd like to know."

 

"I dunno why." He pauses for a moment. "If not between two agents, who, then?"

 

"The first was in 1940, between the Gawain at the time and the Morgana. The second was the 1970's, between the Arthur and a woman in the medical department."

 

"Who the fuck's Morgana? I've never met them."

 

"The position of Morgana is held by the head of our science, medical, and research departments. Not an agent."

 

"Why don't they turn up to meetings like the rest of us, huh?"

 

"Morganas work through several layers of shield companies to protect them. If an agent needs to meet them in person, it usually means that there's a colossal fuckup that needs to be dealt with." Merlin examines him over his glasses. "Our current Morgana is quite lovely. Pray you never meet her."

 

"Alright then, but wait," Eggsy says as he does the math in his head. "The other was in the 70's, yeah? Wouldn't the Arthur then be the one I took out?"

 

"The very same."

 

"I didn't know he was married."

 

"He wasn't, when you knew him. He had an affair, got divorced, became party to a plan to destroy the human race. Your usual downward spiral."

 

"Jeez. Always knew he was a charmer." Merlin makes a noise of agreement and resumes his work.

 

Eggsy breathes a sigh of relief, both because he managed to lead Merlin away from whatever point he was going to make and because _we're not the first, it's happened before, it_ can _happen._

 

* * *

 

They don't even have a mark or a mission this time, nothing to accomplish or achieve. It's just the wedding of one of Eggsy's mum's friends, something Eggsy wouldn't have given a second thought to if his mum hadn't begged him to come with.

 

("They all want to meet you, Eggsy, won't you please just come? They'll love you, you know.")

 

And because he can't deny his mum anything, he acquiesced and in turn begged Roxy to come with him, each of them dragging the other into the rapid downward spiral of _please don't leave me here alone._ At any rate, the wedding is nice, the food was fine, the people friendly.

 

Eggsy was bored out of his fucking mind. Roxy, he suspected, was as well, though she'd never show it. His head perks up when the music begins to play, however, and a look shot at Roxy tells him that she's thinking the same thing.

 

"Care for a dance?" Eggsy bows exaggeratedly over his arm, holding his hand out to Roxy. She flutters her skirt and takes his hand, letting him pull her into a hold.

 

"Of course." Roxy looks like a million euro in her cobalt dress, cut just below the knee, crushed velvet soft against his hand. He leads her out onto a floor and they start to move to the orchestral piece- one of the compositions that Merlin had used in their training, actually, every dip and swell of the music as intimately familiar to Eggsy as Roxy's hand in his. Kingsman's made Eggsy a passable dancer, and Roxy's been trained in ballroom all her life, the two coming together to make them an elegant couple, probably the best dancers in the room. As they sweep around the floor, Eggsy can feel the eyes of the other dancers trained on them. Roxy must feel them too, because she brings her lips up to the shell of his ear to whisper to him.

 

"They're watching us." Her voice holds no trace of discomfort or hesitation, though, the performer in her thrilled at the show they're putting up.

 

"Wanna stop?" He can feel her laugh against him, a light scoff.

 

"Don't you dare, Unwin," she murmurs, almost a challenge. Eggsy savors the gasp she lets out as he picks her up into a lift and twirls her around, her toes straining towards the floor even as they leave them.

 

She gives him a scolding look when he sets her back down, but he can only shrug, grinning. "You know you like it."

 

"Besides the point, Eggs."

 

The two move in silence for another minute until the music reaches the climax. As the strains of music intensify, Eggsy sweeps an arm behind her and drops her into a low dip, hooking her knee over his elbow.

 

"Eggsy!" Roxy's cheeks are burning pink as he brings her back up, acutely conscious of every gaze turned toward them. But when he moves his hand to her wrist, he can feel her heart racing under her skin.

 

"Show-off," he teases. Roxy rolls her eyes.

 

"Says you."

 

"Putting it all out there's not what the Kingsmen are about, love." Eggsy's caught off guard by the derisive look she throws him, lips pursed.

 

"Didn't realize we were on duty, Galahad," she says drily, jumping slightly into his arms when some relative or other comes sailing past them.

 

"Oh, you call him after one of the Knights of the Round Table! That's just _precious_ ," she coos. "You do look the part, my dear. A knight in shining armor, that is." She pats his arm affectionately, despite the fact that Eggsy's never met her before. "How lucky your wife is."

 

Eggsy opens his mouth to protest, but snaps it shut when he feels Roxy pinch his side. With a quick glance towards him, Roxy swoops in to save the conversation.

 

"That's very kind of you to say, ma'am." Her tone is sweet, polite, and seems to please the old woman.

 

"Such manners, How rare these days. I do have to say, darling, that Galahad's an odd choice for a pet name. The pure? Not something I look for in a partner!" Tittering to herself, she moves on to her next unfortunate target, leaving the pair dumbfounded. Roxy looks like she's been hit by a tornado. Eggsy's a bit miffed at her words.

 

"The Pure?" he mutters, annoyed. "If she'd seen what I can--" He's cut off when Roxy slaps his arm.

 

"Eggsy! Now is not the time to brag about your conquests!"

 

"Five times, Roxy! Five times."

 

Roxy lets out a long-suffering groan, hand tugging at his sleeve. "Anyways. Think you've got another dance in you?" she asks, and Eggsy really can't say no to that face.

 

"For you? Always."

 

She presses her cheek into his chest as they sway this time, sans lifts and dives. Eggsy can almost taste the unspoken in the air, words catching in both of their chests. Roxy opens her mouth to speak, closes it, and opens it again.

 

"Do you--" she hesitates, sighing deeply. "Do you think we'll ever get a chance like this again? To just be us, I mean. No mission or target or anything." Eggsy's arms tighten involuntarily around her, his words spilling out of his mouth before he can stop them.

 

"I can think of at least one more time," he murmurs. Roxy's head snaps up to look incredulously at him.

 

"Eggsy Unwin. Did you just…?"

 

"Don't know what you're on about, Rox," he says innocently. She huffs and returns her head to his chest, the music trilling into a crescendo as they move.

 

* * *

 

"Your aliases for this mission are married this time," Merlin says as he hands them their dossiers. "A bit older, as well. Work on acting like mature adults."

 

"Wounded, Merlin. Wounded."

 

He ignores them as he calls a blueprint up on the screen. "Lancelot, you'll want a ring. Honeypots are all well and good, but we don't want to risk anyone shadowing you this time around. Eggsy, you'll want one as well. Get a matching set. Rich, remember."

 

"Doesn't Kingsman Tailors have a jeweler as a front? Why not provide us with rings from there?" Roxy asks.

 

"That was the plan, Lancelot. Just wanted to make sure you and Galahad were on board."

 

"We've got it, Merlin," Roxy says bemusedly. "Not our first mission, you know."

 

"Can't fault me for being too careful. I trust you, Lancelot, but it's just like Galahad to let a little detail like a ring slip past him." His statement is punctuated by a sharp glare over his glasses.

 

"Hey," Eggsy interjects. "As long as we get the tracker in the right spot, don't matter if we've got rings, yeah?"

 

"Many things that seem like they don't matter may be of great import later, when it's too late to rectify it."

 

Eggsy opens his mouth to protest again, but gets cut off when Roxy pinches him into silence.

 

"Appreciated, Merlin."

 

"Doubtful. At any rate, best go get them now before you run out of time." He makes a shooing motion with his clipboard. Eggsy can almost feel Merlin's eyes burn a hole into the back of his neck as they leave.

 

Roxy turns to him as the door clicks shut. "What was that all about? Merlin's never Miss Congeniality, but he's not usually this... pointed about things."

 

"Dunno, Rox. Your guess is as good as mine. Let's get to the jewelers, then?"

 

"I need to do a few things while I'm still here today, actually. Mind going on your own?" Roxy says distractedly, already moving towards the equipment room. Eggsy balks.

 

"How will I know which one you want?" It doesn't matter. He knows it doesn't matter. What he _doesn't_ know is why he's feeling so hesitant about picking a ring, even if it was for a cover, without her.

 

_You're gonna have to do it eventually if you're going to..._

 

Roxy interrupts his train of thought, something that seems to be happening more often nowadays.

 

"Just pick one, Eggs. Does it matter? You'll return them after the mission anyways."

 

"Rox--"

 

"I really don't have time right now, okay?" Based of her immediate wince, the words came out harsher than she meant them. "Sorry, but Arthur is going to have my ass if I don't finish this thing for him," she says as she moves closer to him. "Your place tonight? I'll bring takeaway on my way back." Her hand smooths down his arm, and how could Eggsy say no to that face?

 

"Only if it's Chinese," he says teasingly.

 

"Of course." Roxy leans up on her tiptoes and kisses him softly before walking away. "Love you," she calls over her shoulder.

 

"Yeah," he replies, stuffing his hands into his pockets. Resigned, he starts heading to the jeweler.

 

 _Leave it to Roxy to give me my hardest mission yet_ , he thinks drily as he gets into the Kingsman subway, head resting against the cold metal wall.

 

* * *

 

"How may I help you, sir?" The shopkeeper seems unperturbed by Eggsy emerging out of one of the back rooms in his shop, but Eggsy can feel the man's eyes flit to his signet ring, taking in the Kingsman logo emblazoned on the front.

 

"I need a set of rings for a... special work occasion. You understand."

 

"Quite so. Will you be needing them only for your occasion or for a prolonged period of time?"

 

"Only for the once. They shall be returned to you after." Eggsy makes a show of looking around the store, examining the rings.

 

Roxy's going to be wearing Merlin's new dress prototype, a brocade green monstrosity that, according to Roxy, must weigh "a tonne, Merlin, what the bloody fuck is it made out of?" Which is probably why she's wearing it on such a low-impact mission, but she still wasn't pleased.

 

(Eggsy had offered to wear it himself, but according to Merlin it was an "unnecessary distraction." As if.)

 

At any rate, he zeroes in on a large emerald set in a silver band, impressive but not ostentatious. After a nod from the shopkeeper, he pockets it and its pair before heading into the back room.

 

(His mind does not linger on another ring he saw, a slim band of pale gold set with an innumerably faceted diamond between tiny moonstone droplets that would glow against her skin, small enough not to be a hamper to everyday activities but still regal--)

 

Groaning, Eggsy lets his head drop to the cool metal behind him.

 

 _Gonna have to do something about this eventually,_ he thinks to himself. _Just… not right now._

 

* * *

 

When Eggsy opens the door to his townhouse, Roxy's already there. He can see her sitting in the kitchen, feet propped up on the counter as she reads something on her phone. At the sound of the door clicking shut, she turns her head to the foyer.

 

"About time, Eggsy. The match already started," she says, gesturing to the television. She's changed out of her bespoke suit and into a lose tee and boxers, neither of which belong to her.

 

(Well, not technically, but every article of soft, comfortable clothing that Eggsy owns has been wordlessly proprieted by Roxy. Eggsy can't really bring himself to care, partly because of how cute she looks and besides, he's more of a briefs person anyways.)

 

"Haven't started without me?" he asks as he makes his way to her. His chest tightens fondly as she flicks her hair over her shoulder in his direction, draping herself lazily over the chair.

 

"I am shocked, Galahad, and wounded, that you would think that a Kingswoman would begin a meal without her partner," Roxy declaims with a false haughtiness. She grabs one of the white containers besides her and lobs it at him, trusting his reflexes to kick in.

 

They do, the container landing solidly in Eggsy's hand. Grabbing a pair of chopsticks, he drops into the chair beside her, leaning into the cushions. Roxy turns to catch a kiss as he settles, her hand coming up to card through his hair. As they break away, she swivels the chair to rest her legs on his.

 

"Ring's got an emerald, to match the dress," Eggsy says suddenly. Roxy wrinkles her nose at the mention of it.

 

"I still can't believe Merlin's making me wear that bullshit," she mutters. "But good thinking, Eggs."

 

"I try, love."

 

* * *

 

"I trust my jewelry was to your satisfaction, sir?"

 

"Course." After depositing the rings in the proprietor's hand, he makes to leave. Just before he reaches the exit, however, he turns back to give one last look to the ring that had caught his eye the first time.

 

There it sat, pillowed on green velvet, glinting accusingly at him. Eggsy had no idea how the damned thing was doing it, but he could feel his heart rate pick up the longer he looked at it.

 

"Something caught your eye?" He jumps slightly as the shopkeeper appears at his shoulder.

 

 _Now or never, Eggsy,_ he thinks.

 

"Yes, actually. I'd like to purchase this ring here. Not for a work occasion, for personal reasons."

 

"Undoubtedly. And may I say, a fine choice it is." The shopkeeper seems pleased and amused at the same time. "Because of your employer, it will be free of charge, of course."

 

"Not for work, I said, for--"

 

"I think they can bear the expense of this one item. After all you do for them." After placing it carefully in a black box, he hands it to Eggsy, who has little choice but to accept it.

 

"Thank you, then."

 

"My pleasure."

 

The box feels like it's burning a hole in Eggsy's pocket the while ride back to HQ, but whenever he takes it out to look it's still frustratingly nondescript. The moonstones seem to wink like eyes every time they catch the light.

 

"Don't sass me, bruv."

 

* * *

 

"Shite."

 

Roxy looks up at Eggsy's exclamation, setting her pen down for a moment. "What is it, Eggs?"

 

"M'supposed to pick Daisy up from school about now, but Merlin just told me I have to head out to the Chelsea HQ for a pickup," he says distractedly before looking up at her. "Do me a massive favor, Rox?"

 

"Course. I'm about done here anyways."

 

"You're a doll. I'll call ahead and tell them it'll be you picking her up."

 

"No worries, Eggsy." Kissing him on the cheek, she heads towards the garage.

 

Daisy's school is the sort of stuffy private academy that Roxy attended at the same age.   All full of rich kids and competitive parents. Roxy doesn't miss it, but she supposes it must be better than the underfunded public school Daisy would have attended otherwise.

 

The office is an eclectic mix of primary colors and luxury fabrics, the room caught between amusing the children and pleasing the adults. The secretary looks kindly as Roxy approaches her, though.

 

"Hi, I'm here to pick up Daisy Baker?" Daisy still bears Dean's surname, a lasting mark that he left on her life.

 

"You must be the one Gary called ahead to tell us was picking her up, yes?"

 

"That's right. Daisy knows me."

 

"It'll just be a moment." The secretary nods reassuringly and buzzes Daisy's classroom to notify her teacher. "Go ahead and sit down, dear."

 

Roxy does as instructed, and it's barely five minutes before Daisy comes skipping through the door.

 

"Roxy!" Jumping into a hug, she tugs her to the desk. "Mrs. Miller, this is my sister!"

 

"Is that so? I didn't realize you had a sister. Gary said he was sending his girlfriend." The secretary gives Roxy an odd look.

 

"He did. I'm not really her sister," Roxy corrects hastily. "Not yet."

 

"You will be soon, though." Daisy says happily, confused by the look that the two other women give her. "Well, I asked Eggsy when you're gonna get married and be my sister for real, and he said soon. So soon."

 

Roxy laughs uncomfortably while the secretary scolds Daisy. "Now, Daisy dear, I'm sure your brother wanted it to be a surprise."

 

"It's quite all right. I'm sure Daisy didn't intend anything." Grabbing her hand, she gently leads Daisy to the door. "Say goodbye, now."

 

"Bye," Daisy says chirpily. She gabs about her day the whole ride home, distracting Roxy enough to keep her from mulling on her previous words too much. But as soon as the toddler leaves the car, Roxy sits back heavily in the seat.

 

 _Huh_ , she thinks.

 

* * *

 

"Eggsy, have you seen my light blue sweater?" Roxy's voice calls out to him from the second floor, where she's pawing through her wardrobe with all the ferocity of a low-level hurricane.

 

"Think it's at my place, love." He's slightly caught off guard at the loud groan she makes, surprised that she'd make a fuss like this over a sweater.

 

Moments later, Roxy swings into the kitchen, plopping herself tiredly across the table from him.

 

"Let's just move in together." Her voice is casual, matter-of-fact, as if she was suggesting a place for lunch. Eggsy does a double take.

 

"What?"

 

"It's getting impossible to live half at my place, half at yours. I never know where my things are. And besides," she continues, "we only live like a block away from each other now. Wouldn't be too hard to just condense."

 

"I..." Eggsy considers it for a moment. "Yeah sure, I'm game. My place or yours?"

 

"I've got a better view, I think. Mine." Roxy stands up, the matter decided. "I'll help you move your stuff and tell Merlin later. He'll be happy, it's one less thing for the Kingsmen to pay for."

 

"Alright, then."

 

* * *

 

"So you two are moving in together." Merlin levels his gaze at Eggsy across the room. A wave of déjà vu hits Eggsy before he responds.

 

"We are. What's it to you?"

 

"Nothing." Merlin returns his attention to his paperwork, but Eggsy can see the tension in his frame.

 

"Don't seem like nothing."

 

"You may call me old fashioned, Galahad," he starts.

 

"Maybe just old," Eggsy mumbles. Merlin continues, ignoring him.

 

"But it seems like if you two are going to persist in this... attachment... then the logical step to take would be to make an honest agent out of Lancelot."

 

"I figure that the logical step is none of your bloody business," Eggsy says, pointedly looking away.

 

"You two are agents, and therefore my charges. It's my job to make sure you're in a stable psychological condition."

 

"Fuck off, Merlin." Eggsy's sharp tone quiets Merlin for a few minutes, but it's not long before he speaks again.

 

"She'll say yes, you know."

 

"Course she'll fuckin' say yes. I know that." The pencil Eggsy's holding trembles in the vise of his grip and snaps, splintering. Eggsy curses and gets up to toss it in the wastebin. As he drops it, Merlin directs another question at him.

 

"Then what's stopping you?"

 

Eggsy doesn't have a response for that besides quashing the overwhelming urge to punch Merlin when he tuts scoldingly at his hesitation. He settles with slamming his hand into the wall above the bin. It's satisfyingly hard against his fist, and the sharp sting from his knuckles is a welcome distraction.

 

"Eggsy..." Merlin says warningly.

 

"Get the fuck of my case, alright? I'm working on it."

 

"What are you so afraid of?"

 

Eggsy _really_ doesn't have an answer for that, so he just leaves.

 

* * *

 

"Good luck."

 

"Love you." Roxy leans in to peck him on the cheek. "Rendezvous at the bottom entrance when you've taken out your target."

 

"Gotcha, love."

 

"As much as I appreciate the display, agents, let's try to keep the romance to a minimum until we've completed the mission, yes?" Merlin's businesslike tone only makes Eggsy roll his eyes, but Roxy looks a bit chagrined.

 

"Roger that, Merlin." With that, Roxy promptly heads down the hall and out of sight.

 

"Alright, Galahad, your mark is on the fifth floor. Minimal security, should be easy."

 

"Got it."

 

Merlin's right. Eggsy makes his way to the target with ease, and eliminates them in what seems to be a record time. Based off of what is coming through his earpiece, Roxy's doing pretty well too.

 

"I'm at the rendezvous point, Galahad," she says. "Coming any time soon?"

 

"Heading there now."

 

"Not so fast, Galahad. I need you to get me into the security room."

 

Eggsy groans theatrically. "If I have to."

 

"You do. Lancelot, stay put and cover the entrance."

 

Eggsy jogs to a stairwell and starts making his way up, shooting the occasional unlucky security guard he comes across. He's almost to his destination when Merlin comes to life in the speaker once more.

 

"Bad news, Galahad. Looks like a contingent of guards is guarding the room. You're going to have to take them out."

 

"I'll come in for backup, Galahad." Roxy's keeping any possible hints of nervousness out of her voice, sounding calm as she speaks.

 

"No, Lancelot. Stay. Put." Eggsy can't see him, but he's almost positive that Merlin's gritting his teeth.

 

"Merlin-"

 

"I'll be fine, love," Eggsy says reassuringly. "Just another day at the office, yeah?"

 

He's about ready to turn the corner to the security room, and presses himself flat against the wall. Based off the sounds of the guards murmuring amongst themselves, Eggsy would estimate a good dozen were waiting for him. He grins.

 

"Going in." Turning the corner, he leaps into cover in the form of a stack of crates on the other side of the hall, shooting all the way.

 

"You got two of them, Galahad. Nine more."

 

Eggsy lobs a grenade over the cover, crouching back down to shield himself from the blast.

 

"Three left."

 

Opening the Rainmaker, Eggsy moves out of cover, firing into the chaos. The enemy readings on the umbrella blip out one by one, until Merlin gives him the all clear.

 

"Get that door open, Galahad. Gently, if you would. Don't want to trigger an alarm." Eggsy does as instructed, jimmying the lock open to reveal a room full of monitors. The door clicks shut once he steps inside.

 

"I'm in, Merlin." Moving quickly, he starts the computer protocols that will give Merlin access to the network. Numbers and code start flashing on the screen as he takes over.

 

"We done here?"

 

"I'm in the network, but there's two or so squadrons on your tail. They'll hit you any moment now."

 

"Gotcha." With that, Eggsy opens the door and lobs another grenade out, shutting it quickly to guard against the explosion. When it's died down, he barrels out the door and begins shooting his way out.

 

People are shouting and dying all around him, adrenalin is pumping through his veins, and he can hear Roxy shouting at Merlin in his earpiece, furious.

 

"He needs backup, Merlin, nobody's gonna come through this fucking entrance--"

 

"You don't know that, and we can't afford the chance of someone discovering this operation. Stay. Put." Merlin's words have a growl to them, authoritative and clear. It doesn't stop Roxy from continuing her argument, incensed.

 

Eggsy lets her words wash over him as he fights, the battle rush making everything sharp in his mind, crystal clear, like his instincts knows exactly what to do. As he leaps behind cover, he can feel his heart like it's going to burst through his bespoke suit, can feel the blood roaring in his ears.

 

Breathe in. Breathe out.

 

"Hey, Roxy."

 

"What is it, Galahad?" Her voice is terse, the worry beginning to strain through. An explosion of gunfire erupts besides Eggsy, but he can't let his words be drowned out now, not when everything is finally so clear.

 

"Marry me?" he shouts. _I love you,_ he thinks.

 

"What?" Her voice is small, incredulous, a sharp contrast to her previous shouts. Eggsy can feel time slow and warp around him as his mind struggles for more words.

 

"I don't have a ring- well, I do have a ring, just not with me right now but--" And then he curses, because one of the soldiers had the bright idea to blast into his cover, forcing him to drop into a roll across the hall. In the chaos of the moment, he can register Roxy's voice at the edge of his mind, but pushes it aside to focus on killing the people currently attempting to prevent him from proposing to his girlfriend. Breath heaving, he drops behind a wall.

 

"Didn't catch that, Rox. Say again?" Instead of Roxy's voice, Merlin's is the one that snaps at his ears.

 

"Is now _really the time_ , Gala--"

 

Roxy cuts him off, and dear God does Eggsy wish he could see Merlin's face as she does. "Eggsy, get back to me-- the rendezvous point alive and then you'll get your answer, and not a minute before, understand?"

 

Eggsy can't help it. He laughs, even as his heart rate picks up to a seemingly improbably speed. "Roger that."

 

(Merlin will later inform Eggsy that he's probably set a new record for number of perpetrators taken out in the least amount of time, but due to the _highly inappropriate timing of the motivation, Galahad_ , he won't be put in the very unofficial records.

 

It’s still pretty worth it. And the look on Roxy's face as he appears at the rendezvous point- that's _definitely_ worth it.)

 

Eggst tries to go down on one knee when he gets to her- cause that's what he figures he's supposed to do in situations like this- but she drags him up by his suit lapels and crushes herself close to him, face pressing into his cheek.

 

"Yes," she says tremulously. She draws back, cups his face in her hands. "Yes, yes of course."

 

Eggsy's no neuroscientist, but he's pretty sure she's flooding his system with an insane amount dopamine when she kisses him because Merlin's been shouting in their ears for who knows how long and he doesn't even hear him, doesn't see or hear or touch or taste anything but Roxy.

 

Their lips part, briefly, and then an aggravated Scottish voice drags them back to reality.

 

"Congratulations, Lancelot and Guinevere. Now, if you're _quite_ done, agents, your pickup is almost here."

 

"I'm never gonna live that name down, am I?" Eggsy whispers into Roxy's lips. She smiles and shakes her head, fingers cradling his jaw.

 

"Not ever." She kisses him again, and Eggsy finds that he really does not care what anyone calls him as long as Roxy is in his arms.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote this as a birthday present to myself so if it seems nauseating and indulgent that's because it is happy birthday to meeeeeee


End file.
